50 years of history

2017 is a key year for Silmo Paris that celebrates its half-century. The pioneering trade fair looks to the future emphasizing its role in the optics and eyewear sector

words Editorial staff

The rendezvous with the future is going on at Silmo Paris. 2017 is an anniversary and celebratory year for the international trade fair, but first of all this is a year of constructive change. The organizers want to set in motion a revolution to ready Silmo Paris for the next 50 years. Founded in 1967 with just a handful of pioneers, today the Mondial de l’Optique plays host to a thousand exhibitors from across the industry. Since it was founded, the trade show has extended its sphere of influence by launching strategic offshoots and, following Silmo Istanbul and Silmo Sydney, the brand is set to make its debut in Bangkok (20-22 june 2018). In homage to this on-going dynamic, the exhibition is inviting brands and companies to showcase an iconic product, service or collection, that has left its mark on the company’s history, with the winner receiving a ’50th anniversary’ special award: Silmo d’Or awards. The panel of judges will be chaired by a duo of designers: Livia Stoianova and Yassen Samouilov, who head the On Aura Tout Vu fashion house. To be more in tune with this creative yet fashion-based dimension, the Silmo D’Or optical frames and sunglasses categories will be split into two: Optical Frames – Fashion and Optical Frames – Design, Sunglasses – Fashion and Sunglasses – Design.